Sharp Inhale

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Spoke too soon. I didn't even get 24 hours of steady breathing before the next panic. My coat was on, keys were in hand, and I was about to run out the door Tuesday afternoon, when the phone rang. I won't lie, my heart skipped a beat. (It usually skips a beat these days when the phone rings.) I've had a sixth sense that the hospital would be calling me, you could say I've been waiting for the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello. It's the hospital calling. Your dad had a fall this morning, just before lunch. He's ok, apart from a skinned elbow. Sorry to be calling you now (4.30), but we've been busy all afternoon."

"Sorry? What? Can you please repeat that?!"

It turns out that he was left unattended. His nurse was trying to deal with other patients, and he promised her that he would behave while she left him. Not exactly sure what he did, but sounds like he tried to move on his own. What!? This is the same man that two days prior, I could see him trying to get out of his chair. I was worried he would fall flat on his face in doing so as his muscles are still weak. So I left him at the nursing station for the nurse to watch over him after I left. Two days later he's left unattended, out of his bed, out of his wheelchair? Again, words fail me.

In speaking with the nurse there (there's a new one every day, I've only seen one of them twice), she claimed that they didn't know he had a history of falling. I said, "Parkinson's - fall risk." It is written all over his charts at home. How do they keep missing these things?

They promise to be super vigilant from now on; harnessing him, adding an alarm to his wheelchair, not leaving him unattended. I don't know what to think. He has a swallowing issue with Parkinson's, and cannot eat certain foods. I think I will need to take that assessment form in as well. I'm trying to think of what else they're going to mess up on. Next thing I know... they'll be feeding him popcorn.

When I went in to see him last night, he was sitting up, eating his dinner and looking like he didn't have a care in the world! Why would he when I'm carrying enough stress for five people!! I will be walking on eggshells until our departure date.